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Null
Guardian of the Lost Night Dragon Reaver | aspects = Faluzure, Chronepsis | pantheon = Draconic pantheon | power2e = Intermediate deity Lesser deity''Cult of the Dragon'' (1998) states that Null is both a lesser deity and an intermediate deity; ''Draconomicon'' (1990) states that he is a greater deity. | alignment2e = Lawful evil Lawful neutral''Cult of the Dragon'' (1998) states that Null is both Lawful evil and Lawful neutral. | symbol2e = A circle divided diagonally into white and black semicircles (as the Guardian of the Lost) A draconic skull (as the Reaver). | homeplane2e = Carceri/Minethys (as Faluzure) Outlands (as Chronepsis) | realm2e = Mausoleum of Pain (as Faluzure) Mausoleum of Chronepsis (as Chronepsis) | serves2e = Asgorath | servedby2e = | portfolio2e = Death and the dead The taking of life, decay, the undead, energy draining, and necromancy (as the Reaver) Dead, exhaustion, final judgment, and fatalism (as the Guardian of the Lost) | spheres2e = | worshipers2e = Dragons of all alignments | cleric alignments2e = | holy days2e = | class2e = | refs2e = | power3e = Greater deity | alignment3e = Lawful evil Lawful neutral | symbol3e = A circle divided diagonally into white and black semicircles | homeplane3e = Dragon Eyrie | realm3e = | serves3e = | servedby3e = | portfolio3e = Death, Fate, Judgment | domains3e = Death, Fate, Knowledge, Law, Scalykind | worshipers3e = Dragons | cleric alignments3e = | favored weapon3e = BiteFaiths and Pantheons' page 221 gives Unarmed Strike as Null's favored weapon. This is a mistake made by Sean K. Reynolds as he explains and corrects here: www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/we/ZZZcorrectedmonsterdeitytable.html | holy days3e = | class3e = | refs3e = }} Null ( }}) was the dragon god of death and undeath with two aspects, The Reaver and the Guardian of the Lost. As the Reaver, he was worshiped by evil dragons and took lives, blessing those who served him in this capacity. As the Guardian, he ferried the souls of dead dragons to Dragon Eyrie and ensured they were no longer troubled by the enemies they may have had in life. The Guardian of the Lost was known as Chronepsis on other worlds and planes, while the Reaver was known as Faluzure. Description Whichever role he was in at the time, he appeared as an impenetrable region of blackness in the shape of a dragon. Legend also had it that to touch him was to instantly die. His voice was said to be the dusty croak of the undead. Realm As a greater deity whose portfolio included the death of dragons, Null's realm in Dragon Eyrie was on the peak of the plane and no other draconic god contested that territory. In the Great Wheel cosmology, he had mausoleums in Carceri, and in the Outlands, which also existed in the Plane of Shadow and Negative Energy plane at the same time. Personality Null was prideful and arrogant, fatalistic and utterly humorless. Although he wasn't easily angered, he held grudges over offenses and attacks, whether real or imagined, and these developed into undying hatred. History It was widely believed among his followers that Null was the son of Asgorath and brother of Bahamut and Tiamat. During the Time of Troubles, Null approached the Cult of the Dragon, in an attempt to counter Tiamat's efforts to incorporate the cultists into her own faith. Ill-regarded members of the Sembian cult cells whispered that Null was destined to rule the world with the Cult of the Dragon as his worldly vassals, but it was unknown if Null made such claims himself. Recent History Around 1480 DR,Although there is not an exact date given, this adventure takes place six months after the start of a 4th edition campaign (Shieldmeet of 1479 DR). the black dragon Gryznath, a Chosen of Faluzure, was sent by his god to topple the theocracy of Elturgard. Gryznath took the chance to try to convert an orc horde to the worship of Faluzure. While his plans were thwarted when a band of adventurers killed the dragon, some paladins of Torm believe Gryznath was later revived by Faluzure as an undead, as his remains were never found. Worshipers Null was worshiped by dragons of all alignments, living and undead, because of his dual role. Whether a goodly dragon wished to speed a lost loved one to the afterlife or an evil one wanted to attack a city with an army of undead, a prayer was said to Null. Clergy Dragons and dracoliches who venerated Null and were capable of casting priest spells were considered Null's clerics, and were known as annihilists. Temples Temples to Null took the form of underground caverns that were cloaked in shadows and only dimly lit. Dragons of all breeds and alignments made their way to these places before they died, and their remains lay strewn across the floor, including whatever treasure the dragons had worn. The spirits of these dragons, as well as other spectral guardians, stayed to guard the temple from any who sought to steal from the burial pit. Two Nullist centers of worship were of major significance to his followers. The Well of Dragons was a huge natural cauldron located due east of the Skull Gorge, and countless dragons visited the ancient temple to die there. It was believed the Dire Dragon had his lair in that temple. The Crypt of Dragons was an underground cavern-tomb somewhere near the town of Hilp in Cormyr. The shrine was dedicated to the Guardian of the Lost and was thought to be the biggest remaining temple dedicated exclusively to Null's non-evil aspect. Dogma The Guardian of the Lost taught that all life eventually led into death, which was simply a starting point to another kind existence. True death, on the other hand, was final and absolute. The Reaver taught that death and decay were inevitable and omnipresent and that dragons should incorporate aspects of death into their lives in order to truly be strong. Embracing death in life heralded that one day the afterlife would be part of the living world as well. Rites Null followers were preoccupied with necromantic investigations and the philosophical contemplation of death. The Drawing Down ceremony was held no more than once every lunar month, commencing on the night of the waning half-moon and lasting for a fortnight, culminating at the new moon. In this time, dragons of every breed performed elaborate ceremonies of corporeal internment as they sent the spirits of the recently deceased to the Guardian of the Lost. During total solar eclipses, followers of the Reaver celebrated the Nullification. At this time, followers of Reaver went on a rampaged throughout Faerûn, causing devastation and death. The one who scored the greatest number of mammalian casualties was said to be transformed into a Wyrm of Death and become high priest of Null until the next eclipse. Relationships Null, as the Guardian of the Lost, was dispassionate and held no allegiances nor enemies, though Labelas Enoreth had an understanding with him. Null, as the Reaver, really hated his siblings, Bahamut and Tiamat. Although he was once an ally of Tiamat, some rift in prehistory drove them into everlasting enmity. He also hunted Hlal, who, according to myths, once played a particularly elaborate practical joke on him that enraged him so much so that he did not give up the chase, also targeting Hlal's worshipers. Null resented Tamara's interference with the inevitability of death as well, and hated her with a special passion. His only known ally was Kalzareinad, and the death of the demigod led scholars to speculate he sought others to replace him. Null may have been gifted with the secrets of creating dracoliches after Kalzareinad's passing. Appendix Notes Further Reading *Core material about Chronepsis and Faluzure before the publication of Cult of the Dragon: External Links * Chronepsis and Falazure articles at the Eberron Wiki, a wiki for the Eberron campaign setting. References Connections Category:Draconic pantheon Category:Greater deities Category:Intermediate deities Category:Lesser deities Category:Death domain deities Category:Fate domain deities Category:Lawful neutral deities Category:Lawful evil deities Category:Inhabitants of the Dragon Eyrie Category:Inhabitants of the Neutral Planes Category:Inhabitants of the World Tree planes Category:Inhabitants of Minethys Category:Inhabitants of Carceri Category:Inhabitants of the Outlands Category:Inhabitants of the Outer Planes Category:Inhabitants of the Shadowfell Category:Inhabitants of the Negative Energy Plane Category:Inhabitants of the Inner Planes Category:Inhabitants of the Great Wheel planes